Kingdom of Blades Online (SAO Fanfic)
by Issenkraal
Summary: Kingdom of Blades Online, the world's first VRMMORPG. Originally a breakthrough in technology and a revolution for online gamers everywhere, turned into a death game. Now, Issen, Ephixio and friends fight for survival in a world gone wrong. OCxOC. Mostly original, save for the basic idea of SAO (The VR death game part) W.I.P. Please leave comments and feedback! Every bit helps!
1. The Deal

Kingdom of Blades Online

The Deal

The obnoxious sound of the school bell brought the entire class to attention. Jason sat up in his chair, blinking to reveal startlingly blue eyes, like the bottom of a glacier. His silver-gray hair was unkempt, but still looked like it fit perfectly atop his head. "Enjoy the rest of your day, students!" The teacher, a pretty little thing just out of college herself, said. At the announcement of their release, Jason hurried out of the room. He didn't even bother to talk to any of his friends before heading home. _Today's the day!_ He thought, grinning to himself. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and headed towards home. Today was the release of the first ever Virtual Reality MMORPG, Kingdom of Blades Online. His friend, Xander had been a beta tester and told him all about it. Jason waited in line two days just to get one of the last 1,000 copies, since only 10,000 had been released. He was drawn from his thoughts when he realized he had made it home. As soon as the impatient teen got inside, he went straight to his room and dropped his bag on the floor. Sighing in relief, he plopped onto the bed. Within seconds, the Enviro-Grid, which was used to play VR games, was over his head and he was shouting the activation command. "Link Start!"

"Link Start!" Moments later, icy-blue eyes opened, taking in the world around him. The game included a HUD, with an hp gauge and the name Issen in the top left corner of his field of vision. Several blue auras announced the arrival of other players into the world of Aegis, the world within KBO. The starting city waited before him. Issen grinned once more. _So this is the world I've been waiting for?_ It was astonishingly real. He held his hands in front of his face, _They sure look real,_ he thought. Upon inspection of his bag, he found a simple beginner's sword and some basic armor. He equipped it, taking a look at himself in a mirror. The armor was a simple plain white, with a light blue trim that matched his eyes. _Not bad at all._ He thought as he headed into the main district of the city, running one hand through his messy, silver-grey hair. Several players walked beside him, with weapons and armor of their own. However, _some_ of the obviously newer ones hadn't even gotten that far yet. Issen wasted no time gathering a few supplies throughout the city before heading out into the field to get some early training done. The low level mobs were easy targets for Issen and the few other people training nearby. "Phew," he huffed, taking note of how he himself felt exhausted from all the effort, even though he knew it was just the program. _It's so strange, having to move to make an action happen,_ Issen thought to himself as he defended against a low level wolf. The creature howled, swiping at Issen again. He side-stepped to the left, slicing upwards as he did. Before the wolf could react, he followed through by slicing downwards then spinning quickly and slicing the monster from head to tail. The monster roared in pain as it shattered into thousands of blue crystals which quickly faded into the air. LEVEL UP: 3 "Yes!" Issen cheered, throwing his fist into the air.

The sound of a bell ringing spread throughout the field, drawing the attention of most the players. Without warning, Issen found himself transported to what he recognized as the main district within Ash town. Thousands of other players crowded the large area. Suddenly, red panels replaced the previously clear blue sky. Issen gasped in shock as a crimson red liquid began to seep through the panel lines until it looked the sky was raining blood. "Greetings." A booming voice swept across the town. "My name is Evan Reave, the creator of Kingdom of Blades Online." The owner of the voice was a hooded figure floating in the sky. His robe was an ominous crimson red, with gold trim. The fact that you couldn't see his face made him that much more intimidating. _What's going on?_ Issen wondered, struggling to remain calm. He spotted the avatar of his friend Xander nearby. "Alistar!" He shouted, using Xander's in game name to address him. Alistar turned, flashing a smile. "Issen! I knew you'd be here!" His brown hair was spiked like usual, and his light purple eyes seemed to stare right through Issen. "Do you have any idea what's going on?" Alistar asked, rubbing his head in confusion. Issen laughed before replying, "I was actually going to ask you the same thing." Before either could continue the conversation, the figure floating in the sky answered for them. "Some of you may have noticed by now, the log out function has been removed from your main menus." Most of the figures within the area opened their menus to confirm what Reave had just said. "This is not a bug, but a feature of KBO." He continued. "In this game, if your health reaches zero and your avatar is deleted, you die as well." Several players shouted in protest, claiming it wasn't possible. "Of course it is." Reave chuckled menacingly. "In the event of your avatar's death, the Enviro-Grid sends a powerful microwave, frying your brain. The same will happen if the Enviro-Grid is removed from your person by anyone in the living world." By now, most everyone had figured out what was going on. Kingdom of Blades Online, the first ever VRMMORPG had been turned into a death game. "Welcome to my world." The figure floating in the sky laughed once more. "The only way any of you will live to see your friends and family again is if you're able to clear all 100 floors of Aegis. I'd like to make it very clear, though… If at any time throughout this game, your hp depletes to zero, your avatar will be lost forever. Simultaneously the Enviro-Grid will destroy your brain." Nobody within the town said a word, afraid they'd miss anything else important. "Good luck, players." With that, the figure ripped open a hole in the sky, revealing what looked to be the system itself. The cloaked man stepped through, letting the rift close behind him.

"How can he get away with this?!" Issen shouted in protest, turning towards Alistar. Alistar's brow furrowed as he considered the implications of Reave's words. "I'm honestly not sure, Issen." Most the players were running around in panic, colliding with one another. "For now, follow me." Alistar turned, walking down a nearby alley. Issen followed obediently. In short time the two boys found themselves at the local inn. Alistar paid the NPC and they made their way to a room. "We can talk here and figure out a plan." Alistar sat down on the surprisingly soft bed, placing his sword and shield beside him. Issen sat on the bed opposite him, placing his sword next to him as well. "So..?" Issen asked after a few minutes of silence. Alistar looked up with an oddly serious look on his face. "You're not gonna like this," he began, "but I think it'd be best for us to go solo right now." Issen's jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me?!" He looked at his friend once more, noting the studded royal blue jacket and black pants with a matching pair of black gloves and boots. Alistar had obviously already completed a few quests and was ahead of Issen. He'd been a beta tester, so it wasn't very surprising. Alistar began to explain, but was cut off by the sound of arguing just outside their room. It subsided shortly, and the two focused on each other once more. "If you ever need my help, you can message me and I'll be there. For now, however, it'd be best for you to go without me. You know the system well enough to get by, and I need to be here on the front line for those who don't." Issen's initial anger disappeared. "I get it." He smiled at Alistar. "Then if that's what you think is best, I'll find my way on my own." Alistar sighed, glad that Issen hadn't remained upset. "One day though, I'll be fighting right next to you on the front lines, so don't do anything stupid!" Issen added. "Of course not!" Alistar replied, holding his hand in front of him. Issen took it, shaking it once. "It's a deal."


	2. Chance Encounter

Chance Encounter

Issen shivered against the cold wind. It was night time, and he had been out a little longer than he expected. Most players didn't venture out at night, or anywhere near as far from the Ash Town as he had. They were too afraid, and reasonably so. It had only been about two weeks since KBO first went online. Nobody had even found the boss room for the first floor dungeon, and not many were trying. _I wonder how Alistar's doing?_ Issen himself was level eight, which was pretty impressive. The sound of a twig snapping behind him brought Issen's attention back to the world before him. In an instant, his sword was in his hand and he stood at the ready. "Who's there?!" He shouted, not really expecting an answer. Suddenly, a figure emerged from the woods Issen had just left. "Were you following me?" The bewilderment was apparent on his face. The figure before him was clad in midnight black plated armor, with intricate patterns detailing the set in viridian green. Obviously he had the makings of a powerful tank player. He wielded a simple sword and a black tower shield with the emblem of a roaring dragon that matched the green of the armor. "My name is Ephixio." The man, who looked to be about 18, introduced himself. Issen grinned, "Name's Issen. Nice to meet you." At that, Ephixio smiled as well, catching Issen's attention. He studied Ephixio's appearance, trying to recall if he had seen the player before. The man's neatly kept blonde hair and stunning blue-green eyes immediately drew Issen's attention, but it was his smile that made Issen stare. It was the one of a kind, genuine smile that could light up an entire room. "What are you doing all the way out here?" He asked. Ephixio shrugged, "I got lost. I was actually hoping you could help me get back to town. Issen sensed that Ephixio wasn't telling the whole truth, but he let him get away with it. "Well that's a first! Not many people get lost out here and live to tell about it." Ephixio chuckled, "I'm not so bad at this myself. I got this rare armor from a random event the day after this death game started." Issen's eyes narrowed. "I knew that armor couldn't be normal." He couldn't help but be a bit jealous. "Anyway, the town is this way." He sent a party invite to Ephixio before turning around and heading back towards Ash Town.

"I can finally see it!" Ephixio shouted happily. The town had just gotten back into view. "Yup, we're almost there!" Issen confirmed, picking up the pace. "Thanks for all the help." Ephixio turned towards Issen, smiling once more. Issen turned away, feigning indifference. "It was nothing really." Ephixio frowned, "Most other people wouldn't have even been out there, let alone willing to help," he argued. Issen smiled to himself. "I suppose that's true," he conceded. Moments after entering town Ephixio spotted the nearest restaurant, dragging Issen with him. "I owe you!" A short time later, Issen found himself seated in front of a plate full of steaming hot food. His stomach growled obnoxiously and he blushed slightly as Ephixio's light hearted laughter filled the room. "I knew you'd be hungry!" Ephixio smiled, taking his fork in hand and attacking the plate in front of him. Within minutes, the food was gone from both plates. "That hit the spot," Ephixio sighed, a look of content sprawled across his face. Despite his light complexion, and short stature, something about him was simply captivating. Issen couldn't help but pay attention. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ The silver haired warrior wondered. _This is a guy! In a video game, no less._ He chided himself for thinking such strange thoughts. "You ok?" Ephixio asked, noticing that Issen had been staring into space. "Yeah, I'm fine." Issen replied, shrugging away the thoughts that plagued his mind. "Alright! I have an idea." Ephixio announced, grinning with excitement. "You and I are a team now!" Issen began to shake his head no, but Ephixio wrapped his arm around Issen's neck, pulling him in. "No choice, bud!" Ephixio let Issen go, laughing as he fell to the floor. "Now, we need to find a place to stay for the night!" With that, Ephixio left the restaurant. Dumbfounded, Issen slowly got up to follow.

Issen stared up at the ceiling, unable to sleep. He and Ephixio had managed to find a place nearby that was affordable. Unfortunately, this place only had one bed and Issen had drawn the short stick. Issen turned to look at the sleeping figure in the bed across from him. Ephixio, now in a simple pair of black shorts, was fast asleep. His slow and steady breathing caused Issen to smile. _What am I getting myself into?_ He wondered. Ephixio's blue-green eyes fluttered open. "Issen?" He whispered, "You still awake?" Issen nodded. "I've always been somewhat of an insomniac." He shrugged. "Oh, I see." Ephixio nodded as if he'd expected it all along. "You can join me up here, if you want." Ephixio offered, patting the empty spot next to him. "Even if it's virtual reality, these beds are pretty comfy." Issen shook his head, "I'm alright, thanks." Ephixio chuckled, "Suit yourself." He closed his eyes and for a moment Issen assumed he had fallen asleep once more. "Why do you continue to fight?" Ephixio asked, surprising Issen. He hesitated, shocked at the abrupt question. "Ummm…" He replied, struggling to think of the best way to put his feelings into words. "I guess… It's because I know some people here aren't strong enough to fight for themselves. So, I've got to be strong for them." Ephixio smiled bigger than Issen had seen yet. "That's a good answer," he mumbled through a yawn. Issen, now curious, asked, "Why do you fight, Ephixio?" Ephixio's face grew solemn, "To be honest, you found me just as I'd given up…" His blue-green eyes clouded over. "I just can't see anyone in this world living to the end." He admitted. "If you hadn't found me, I'd be wolf food by now." Issen's eyes went wide with shock. How could somebody as naturally powerful as Ephixio have an attitude like that? Issen realized his initial impression was off. Ephixio wasn't some great legend of an RPG player, he was scared just like everyone else. "Hey Ephixio?" Issen asked, after a moment of silence. "Is that offer still open?" Ephixio smiled. "Sure!" Issen opened his menu, switching into a pair of shorts of his own before climbing into bed next to Ephixio. He met Ephixio's eyes before blushing and turning to face the opposite direction. _He's right, these things are pretty comfy._ Issen thought to himself. Issen was surprised to feel Ephixio's arm wrap itself around his waist and pull him a little closer. He felt the warmth of Ephixio's body heat against his back and decided not to complain. _Maybe this isn't so bad?_ He thought to himself. A few minutes later the both of them were sound asleep.


	3. The Forest's Edge

The Forest's Edge

After a few days of exploring different dungeons together, Ephixio and Issen decided to attend a meeting that had been called for all the strongest players in the game. Issen had been invited by the person hosting the meeting, Alistar. Ephixio and Issen strode into the meeting and sat near the back, observing the other players that had gathered. It was a discouragingly small group; only 30 or so people were there. "Hello everyone," a familiar voice reached Issen's ears and he began to smile. "My name is Alistar, and I'm the one who has gathered all of you here today." Alistar's familiar face came into view as he stood up to address the group of players before him. A few of them mumbled a greeting. "What we're here to discuss is how we're going to clear the game." Alistar continued. "How are we supposed to do that?" A man with short orange hair scoffed. Alistar continued, ignoring the character. "Yesterday, me and my party traveled deep into the Forests at the far end of the map. We found a dungeon there, and we think the floor boss is gonna be holed up in that dungeon somewhere." Several players gasped. The orange haired man stood up before shouting, "Where's your proof?!" he asked in a demanding tone. "There was a powerful direwolf, like a boss, in the field before it. Thanks to the open range, me and my parry were able to coordinate and avoid his attacks while dealing enough damage to take him down." Everyone was paying attention now. "The dungeon boss will be much more difficult, for it will be in an enclosed area. We won't be able to avoid it's attacks and we can't take them as a single team. We need a coordinated effort." The orange haired man interrupted again, "You can't seriously be thinking about going in there? It's suicide!" A few players nodded their heads in agreement. "You're wrong." Alistar replied, "I was a beta tester, I've cleared this boss easy." Without stopping to let anyone interject, Alistar continued, "With an over leveled group this big, we shouldn't have any trouble with this guy." Issen looked at the players around him, wondering what level they were. _I'm level 11 and Ephixio is level 10, which is pretty high compared to most… Are these guys on par with us?_ He thought to himself. Alistar's voice dragged him out of his thoughts. "We'll be forming a raid group with parties of six, go ahead and prepare those now. Starting tomorrow, we'll launch a full scale effort to locate the boss room and take the first step to gaining our freedom back!" Sensing their dismissal, the players split into groups and went back to their own schedules.

Only Issen, Ephixio, Alistar and his party remained. "Issen, how have you been?" He asked, pulling his friend into a hug. "I'm glad to see you're still around." Issen laughed, "With this guy here, there's not a lot to worry about." He gestured to Ephixio who held out a hand in greeting. "My name's Ephixio, it's nice to meet you." Alistar replied in kind before introducing the three other members in his party. "This is Seraffia and her familiar, Artemis." He pointed to a girl with olive colored skin and forest green eyes. Her expression was fierce, but not uninviting. She wore a dark gray studded leather armor with brown boots, lined with silver fur and matching gloves. A silk ribbon hung from her side that was colored like the most beautiful starry night sky, and a pair of daggers were strapped to her belt. Her familiar, Artemis was a large wolf with black and silver fur, with a diamond shaped patch of fur on his chest. Clearly, the two of them were capable fighters. "Pleasure to meet you." The small girl stepped forward to shake both their hands. "This is Inarius." Alistar continued. The man standing next to Seraffia nodded his head in greeting. He had medium length black hair that settled rather plainly on his head. His eyes were a mesmerizing gray color, and his skin was a pale white. Inarius' apparel was as dark as his hair, and as fantastic as the rest of the people in the party. It looked pretty light, but solid; obviously right in the middle of heavy and light which meant he focused on speed. The armor was detailed to look almost like scales. The most notable thing about his appearance was the lethal looking Katana that hung from his side. The sheath alone was extravagantly decorated in light blue trim, and what looked to be some sort of ancient language engraved into the side. It was more than likely an extremely rare weapon, likely a drop from one of the mid-level bosses. Standing on his other side was another female character. She had snow white hair, and pretty brown eyes. The female wore what appeared to be a simple set of intricately designed cloth armor. Her armor was a deep ruby red, with white trim that seemed to dance over the base color like a flame. A large bow, carved inctricately from white oak, was strapped to her back next to a quiver full of black arrows with white feathers. She offered a wave to Issen and Ephixio, "My name is Ayame." Issen and Ephixio both introduced themselves. Standing next to this group, Issen felt even weaker than he already had next to Ephixio or Alistar.

"Me and Ephixio are in a party together, but that's it." Issen replied, feeling somewhat dumb. "Well why don't you join us?" Alistar offered. "If you think you can handle it, that is. We're going to be leading the main charge once we find the boss." Issen's eyes widened with surprise. "Are you crazy?" He asked. Alistar shook his head, "Nobody else could pull it off and you know it." Issen nodded. What Alistar had said was definitely true. "Alright then," Issen smiled, "I guess we'll join you then." Alistar and the rest of the party smiled before sending the invites and making the necessary changes. "Let's head back to town, everyone." Alistar turned, leading the group home.

Once they were back in town, the party gathered supplies for the day ahead of them and met at the meeting place they had previously decided on, a local tavern to discuss a battle plan. "Alright, if what took place in the beta test remains true, and it has so far, the boss will be a ghost knight. It should have skeleton mobs guarding it. We'll need to coordinate groups blocking and attacking, and make sure some are holding off the mobs." Alistar didn't hesitate to begin divulging his knowledge from the beta test. The rest of the group nodded as he continued to explain the battle plan. "We'll be the main attack force. Parties A and B will switch to handle defending. Parties C and D will take care of the skeleton mobs." Alistar sat back and folded his arms as he finished. "That sounds like a perfect plan to me!" Ephixio nodded his head in approval and smiled. The rest of the group murmured in agreement. "Alright, then we'll stay here for the night. I assume everyone has money for a room?" "Ummm… Not me." Ephixio dropped his head in embarrassment. Issen grinned slightly, "That's alright, you're just gonna have to share a room with me." Alistar clapped his hands, "Sounds like we're set then. I'll get the message out to the other players and see you guys in the morning." At that, the group purchased rooms and retired in short time.

"Guess they only have rooms with one bed." Issen immediately noticed as they entered the room. "Would we really need two?" Ephixio said, grinning devilishly. Issen laughed before blushing slightly at how blunt Ephixio was on the subject. Ephixio quickly changed into the same pair of black shorts he usually wore while Issen changed to his white pair. The two climbed into bed. Issen turned to look at Ephixio, surprised to see his blue-green eyes open and gazing at Issen. Without saying a word, Ephixio leaned in and kissed Issen. Issen's eyes went wide with shock, but he closed them quickly, savoring the brief moment that their lips intertwined. It was absolutely amazing. He noticed Ephixio staring and immediately blushed. The silver haired boy turned away, trying to hide his embarrassment His heart was pounding so loud he swore Ephixio could hear it. "Anything?" Ephixio asked, chuckling slightly. Issen began blushing even more. "I've uhh… Never really done anything like this before." He admitted, staring at the ceiling. "Whatdya mean, 'this?'" Ephixio asked, smiling that adorable smile once again. "There's nothing going on between me and you!" Ephixio joked, adding a wink. _I must be going insane._ Issen thought as he turned to look at Ephixio once more. He smiled, before adding confidently, "No, I think I want there to be something." Ephixio's smiled turned from playful to pure joy. He pulled Issen into a hug and kissed him again. "I think I'll be just fine with that." Issen smiled, laying his head down on Ephixio's chest. He quickly fell asleep, listening to the rhythmic beating of Ephixio's heart.


End file.
